Switch and signal mechanism



5N0 Model.)

D. 0. OKAIN. SWITCH AND SIGNAL MECHANISM.

No. 543,778. Patented July 30, 1895.

-% WM c. (o 14% UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

DOMENEO C. OKAI-N, OF WILKINSBURG, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH AND SIGNAL MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,778, dated July 30, 1895.

Application filed May 17, 1895. Serial No. 549,620. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOMENEC O. OKAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Switch and Signal Mechanism, of which improvements the following is a specification. The invention described herein relates to [O certain improvements in the construction of signal-operating mechanism and the interlocking connections therefor. 7

It has heretofore been customary to arrange a slotted quadrant on top of the frame of the [5 machine, said quadrant being operated by means of the lever latch-rod, and also connected at one end in any suitable manner to the interlocking mechanism. This construction is objectionable for the reason that the 20 quadrant is so arranged that the operator can place his foot on one end thereof, using it as a brace to enable him to shift the lever. Unless the quadrant is made exceedingly strong and heavy it is frequently broken by the force :5 thus exerted upon it. On account of the contracted'space in the frame below the bedpiece or top plate an integral slotted quadrant cannot be conveniently arranged below the bed-plate.

go The object of the present invention is to provide a divided quadrant, or two oppositelymovable blocks having their facing ends slotted and arranged below the bed-plate, whereby they are protected as against injury in the ordinary operation of the machine.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side o elevation of aninterlocking switch and sig-' nal operating mechanism having my improvement applied thereto. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional elevations, the plane of section being indicated by the line a: on, Fig. 1, showing, 5 respectively, the several positions of the divided quadrant eorrespondingto the positions of the lever when being shifted from locked normal to locked reverse position. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view illustrating the manner of connecting the divided'quadrants to the interlocking mechanism.

In the practice of my invention the stand or frame 1, with its convex top plate 2, the lever 3,and latch-rod 4 are constructed and arranged relative to each other in the usual or any suitable manner.

Below thebed-piece 2 are arranged a series of pairs of lugs or supports 5, corresponding in number to the number of levers employed, and preferably secured to horizontal bars 6, extending from end to end of the frame of the machine and on opposite sides thereof. On these supports or lugs are movably mounted blocks having their facing ends slotted for the reception of a block on the latch-rod, whereby the blocks are shifted as required. These blocks are so connected that a movement of one by the latch-rod will shift the other in the opposite direction, and the blocks are so connected to the interlocking mechanism that their movements will properly operate such mechanism. It is preferred to construct these blocks in the form of bell-crank levers 7 and 8, which are pivotally mounted on the lugs 5 and are so arranged that one arm of each lever will project toward and lie in or approximately in the same vertical plane as the corresponding arm of the other bell-crank lever. These arms 9 and 10 are formed with open-ended slots, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

To the lower end of the latch rod 4 is pivotally attached a block 11 of suitable size to fit and slide along within the slots in the arms 9 and 10. r

The arms 12 and 13 of the bell-crank levers are connected together by a bar or link 14, and are connected by a link 15 to an arm 16 on the sleeve 17, which is adapted to be secured on a vertical rock-shaft 18 ofthe inter-' locking mechanism.

When the lever 3 is locked in normal position, the block 11 lies within the slot in the arm 9, as shown in Fig. 2, and said arm is depressed by the action of the spring 19 on the latch-rod. By reason of the connection of the arms 12 and 13 by the rod or link 14, the

arm 10 of thelever 8 will be elevated when thev arm 9 of the lever 7 is depressed, and the slots in the said arm will be out of line with each otherin a vertical direction. The latchrod is also provided with an enlargement 20, adapted to engage recesses 21 in the convex top plate 2 when the lever is in normal and reversed position.

The shafts 18 are provided with slotted arms 24, which engage projections 22 on the longitudinally movable horizontal bars or members 25 of the interlocking mechanism, which may be of the usual or any suitable form or construction.

When it is desired to shift the lever, the operator presses the handle 23 of the latchrod toward the lever, thereby raising the latch-rod so as to withdraw the catch or enlargement 20 from the recess 21. This movement of the latch-rod effects an upward movement of the arm 9 of the lever 7, by reason of the engagement of the block 11 with the slots in said arm, and this upward movement of the arm 9 produces a corresponding downward movement of the arm 10 of the lever 8. These two opposite movements are such as to bring slots in the arms 9 and 10 into line with each other vertically, so that the block 11 may freely pass from the slots in the arm 9 into the slot in the arm 10, when the leveris shifted to reverse position, as shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the lever reaches this reverse position the handle 22 is released, and the spring 19 forces the latch-rod downwardly, and this movement of the latch-rod pushes the arm 10 and the lever 8 in the same direction. The downward movement of the arm 10 produces a corresponding upward movement of the arm 9 of the lever 7, so that said arms are out of line vertically.

It will be observed that a movement in opposite directions is imparted by the latch-rod to the arms 9 and 10 during the upward movement of the latch-rod, and that when the lever has been shifted the downward movement of the latch-rod produces further movements of the arms in the same directions. In other words, the'unlocking movement of the latchrod produces a preliminary locking which is completed by the movement of the latch-rod into locking position. These preliminary and final locking movements are substantially the same as those of the ordinary quadrant.

By reason of the connection of the levers 7 and 8 to the shafts 18 of the interlocking mechanism the movements imparted to said levers, as before described, will produce a rotation of the vertical shafts and the locking movements of the parts of the interlocking mechanism.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, an interlocking mechanism for switches and signals having my improvement applied thereto will have all of its parts liable to injury in the ordinary operation of the machine entirely protected from injury, it

being customary to so arrange the frame of the mechanism in the tower or cabin that the convex plate 2 will project slightly above the floor on which the operator stands.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In a switch and signal operating mechanism, the combination of a series of two or more levers, latch rods carried by the levers, a series of two or more sectional slotted quadrants, each having its sections pivotally mounted, blocks carried by the latch rods and adapted to be shifted along the slots in the sections of the quadrants, the sections of each quadrant being so connected that a movement of one of the sections will shift the other section in the opposite direction, and an interlocking mechanism operated by each quadrant, substantially as set forth.

2. In a switch and signal operating mechanism, the combination of a series of two or more levers, latch rods carried by the levers, a series of two or more pairs of movable blocks adapted to be operated by the latch rods, and the members of each being so connected that a movement of one block will shift the other block in the opposite direction, and an interlocking mechanism operated by said pairs of blocks, substantially as set forth.

3. In a switch and signal interlocking mechanism, the combination of a series of two or more levers, latch rods carried by the levers, a series of two or more pairs of oppositely pivoted bell crank levers having their facing arms slotted, blocks carried by the latch rods and adapted to engage said slotted arms, a link connecting the other arms of the bell crank levers, wherebya movement of a lever of each pair will produce an opposite movement of the other lever of the pair, and an interlockin g mechanism operated by the bell crank levers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DOMENEO C. OKAIN. WVitnesses:

DARWIN S. WOLCOTT, F. E: GAITHER. 

